Educating Language Learners for a World of Change and Opportunity: Policy Concerns - Research Responses - Practical Applications
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: As the study and use of second and foreign languages continue to gain worldwide prominence in the preparation of students for scholarly, professional, and recreational undertakings, educators are confronted with linguistic and academic questions in the formation of educational policy.This review will address three of these questions: What is the optimal age to begin formal second language study?Are there effective ways to integrate a yet to be acquired L2 with academic, subject matter content? and What are the contributions if an L1 to classroom learning and teaching?It will do this within two research orientations, Applied and Applicable.Applied research will be described with respect to original studies designed and implemented for the purpose of addressing each question directly.Applicable research will be described through relevant studies derived from fields such as cognitive psychology, anthropology, and pragmatics, and the educational sub-fields of policy and evaluation.The descriptions will reveal that, taken together, Applied and Applicable studies provide a foundation for research-informed decisions on educational policy, and for practical applications of research to classroom teaching and learning. Focus and PurposeT his paper describes the relationship between second language acquisition (SLA) research and the field of applied linguistics across Applied and Applicable orientations.It focuses on applied studies designed to address practical questions and concerns and on applicable studies designed to address theoretical questions, but also relevant to applied questions and concerns.Three questions are addressed: Is there an optimal age to begin formal classroom L2 study?Are there effective ways to integrate a yet to be acquired L2 with subject matter content?What are the contributions of a first language (L1) to classroom teaching and learning?25/2: 1-21, 2010 Working Papers in Educational Linguistics
Author: Teresa Pica
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Language: English
Subfield: Linguistics and Language
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2416131164